Anyone who has been involved in the theological world for any length of time or for that matter, been daring enough to venture into the firestorm of a Facebook forum that is dedicated to a particular theological stance can attest to the reality that on any number of topics found in the Bible, there is bound to be a strongly held opinion about that issue. This includes anything from origins to eschatology and arguably everything in between. This leaves many wondering if Scripture actually contains answers or just a bunch of ideas with the reader left to draw their own personal conclusions as to what is true and what is false. The reality is we are not left up to our own speculations and Scripture provides answers to even the toughest of questions although admittedly some concepts require a bit more study than others. It is to those difficult questions of the faith that pastor and author Sam Storms saliently addresses in his book, Tough Topics: Biblical Answers to 25 Challenging Questions.
As the title of the book indicates, Storms has selected 25 of the more difficult and often debated theological issues one will likely find being discussed in the church today. These hot button issues form the basis for much debate and also quite a bit of consternation on the part of many as they try to wade through the various opinions, books, forums, and sermons that support one view over the other and vice versa. Subjects such as inerrancy, original sin, baptism, angels, demons, salvation, tongues, tithing, the sovereignty of God and His attributes are just a few of the many issues that are debated today. In this book, Storms takes a look at these hot button issues, providing the reader with a very biblically sound approach to not just trying to find a way to win a debate, but rather in a manner that seeks to help the reader have a holistic view to what Scripture declares on these important issues.
Storms begins his book by addressing perhaps two of the more debated topics in the church today, namely inerrancy and a concept known as open theism. As a theology major in bible college and seminary, I am keenly aware how the discipline known as theology is rather gifted at creating what can be termed as million dollar words for even the most simplest of biblical concepts. When it comes to the topic of inerrancy, the use of large words and often confusing concepts somehow finds its way into the discussion. What I truly appreciated about the approach Storms took to inerrancy for example, is the pastoral tone of his examination of the subject matter. Rather than throwing out yet another list of confusing terms, Storms takes the confusing and presents it in a way that anyone from the newest believer to the most seasoned theologian will appreciate. For example, the doctrine of inerrancy necessarily includes the affirmation of verbal, plenary inspiration. Now verbal is a word most would not stumble on; however, plenary and even inspiration are perhaps words with which many are not familiar. Rather than stating that he affirms the verbal, plenary inspiration of Scripture and then moving on to another aspect of that doctrine, Storms aptly takes the time to walk the reader through what those terms mean and why they are vital to the issue being discussed.
The allure of open theism has unfortunately taken hold in the minds of many believers, presenting a god who learns and grows based on the actions of humanity. This particular subject can quite often migrate into the Calvinism vs. Arminianism debate, in particular the discussion of free will although Storms rightly points out that while open theists are typically of the Arminian persuasion, Arminius was a strong proponent of God’s divine foreknowledge. As noted by Storms, “proponents of this doctrine insist this “open” view of God is the only way that he can engage in a both meaningful and loving interpersonal relationship with his creatures.” The response Storms provides to open theism is simply to walk the reader through Scriptures that declare God’s exhaustive and complete foreknowledge of all events, past, present, and future. Using Isaiah 41-48 as his foundation, Storms saliently notes the failure of open theism to account for the rather clear biblical statements demonstrating God’s divine foreknowledge. Storms correctly points out “God’s glory lies in his capacity to do what the idols cannot: before new things come to pass, God alone declares what they shall be and proclaims them to the people. There is no guesswork involved.” Affirming our faith and trust in a God who knows all from beginning to end is vital, and Storms does a marvelous job of showing the failure of the open theism position and how Scripture, the source of truth, reveals open theism to be nothing more than a charade that minimizes the glory of God.
Another interesting topic Storms addresses is that of God’s immutability or the question of whether God changes His mind. For theological nerds and layman alike, the question of does God change is an important one for after all, there are a few verses where it at least seems at first glance that the actions or requests of humanity swayed God or altered His plans. Storms first notes an important aspect of this discussion that must be noted, namely “This affirmation of unchangeableness, however, is not designed to deny that change and development take place in God’s relations to his creatures.” After all, when we move from the kingdom of darkness to the kingdom of light through the work of the Holy Spirit, we are no longer enemies of God, but instead, we become His children. That is certainly a huge change in relationship. Building upon that foundation, Storms walks the reader through terms such as nacham (repent) which are used in the passages where it appears God changed His mind or approach based on the actions of man. Storms notes a number of important issues, such as how Scripture uses figures of speech in order to relay the actions of God in a way humanity can understand. Additionally, he rightly discusses issues of unconditional covenants and decrees and those of a conditional nature. All of these important issues ultimately result in the fact that God does not change in the way open theists surmise. Our God is dependable and whatever takes place is fully within His divine plan.
Given the fact there are 22 other interesting topics that Storms addresses in this book and the fact it would take several more pages to scratch the surface of what he talks about in regards to those issues, I will conclude this review by saying this is a truly excellent resource. It bears a degree of similarity to books such as F. F. Bruce’s Hard Sayings of the Bible or Norman Geisler’s The Big Book of Bible Difficulties; however, Storms effort is focused on addressing specific topics, while the aforementioned books address various passages of Scripture that may or may not deal with the topics focused on by Storms. Pastoral in tone, well-researched, full of recommendations for additional reading, and biblically sound in its approach, Tough Topics by Sam Storms is an important book in an age where much of biblical truth is coming under attack. This work should find its way on the shelves of layman and scholars alike.
I received this book for free from Crossway Books for this review. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
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